Five Western Contenders To Watch At The Deadline
During this lockout-shortened season, the playoff race in the Western Conference is even more intriguing than usual. Although the Thunder sit comfortably atop the conference standings (their 4.5-game lead over second-place San Antonio is equal to the Spurs' 4.5-game lead over eighth-place Houston), they're not considered the overwhelming favorites to come out of the West. With plenty of basketball to be played and plenty of time for teams to improve their rosters, here are a few Western Conference contenders who could make a splash before the trade deadline:
- Thunder: While Oklahoma City hasn't been the subject of many trade rumors in recent weeks, GM Sam Presti has a history of striking unexpected deals. With the Thunder hoping to eventually lock up James Harden and Serge Ibaka to join Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for the years ahead, I can't imagine them agreeing to take on a deal with years left on it. But if the club can find a shooter or offensive-minded big man on a short contract to upgrade its bench, I think they'd be glad to move Daequan Cook and Nazr Mohammed to make it happen. And as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld pointed out yesterday, if the Thunder are concerned about the health of Thabo Sefolosha, they could explore a deal for a defensive wing player to replace him.
- Lakers: Unlike the Thunder, the Lakers have found it impossible to avoid trade chatter, so much so that Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant held a players-only meeting to ensure no one was distracted heading into the second half. But the rumblings are justified — the Lakers hold a valuable $8.9MM trade exception and could be a player or two from becoming legit title contenders again. Point guard and small forward are the Lakers' most glaring needs, with the team eyeing Ramon Sessions, Raymond Felton, Kirk Hinrich, Leandro Barbosa, Michael Beasley and others. I don't expect a blockbuster Pau Gasol trade, but I'd be shocked if the Lakers stood pat. Sending one of their first-rounders to the Cavs for Sessions still makes the most sense to me.
- Grizzlies: They expect to get Zach Randolph back in the lineup soon, and have played very well even without their All-Star. The addition of Randolph will likely be the most significant move the Grizzlies make, but they're an intriguing club to keep an eye on just in case. Memphis currently sits slightly above the luxury tax line, and owner Michael Heisley has no desire to be a taxpayer, so the team figures to make a move at some point to get below that threshold. Could that mean moving O.J. Mayo? The fourth-year guard has been the subject of trade rumors for years, and as a potential restricted free agent, his $5.63MM cap figure represents an expiring deal.
- Mavericks: Caught between defending their title and preparing to make a run at marquee free agents this summer, the Mavs are trying to win now without compromising their future cap flexibility. While it seems as if they're reluctant to break up the team until after the season, you have to think that if they got an offer they liked for Shawn Marion, they'd take it. I don't expect the Mavs to be major players at the deadline, but it'll be interesting to see how they continue to balance their present and future goals.
- Rockets: When Jesse Blanchard of Hoops Rumors assessed the Rockets' stocks, he pointed out that, while the team lacks a star, it also doesn't possess any awful players or contracts. The Rockets have a number of players that could be interesting trade pieces, including reasonably-priced starters like Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Samuel Dalembert, and a plethora of expiring deals. I think GM Daryl Morey will make some sort of trade by March 15th, though it remains to be seen whether it'll be a move with an eye toward the coming postseason or the future. Houston would love to get its hands on Pau Gasol, but I don't think that's happening unless they include Kyle Lowry in a package.
Smith’s Latest: Celtics, DeRozan, Daye, Beaubois
After previewing the Bulls' upcoming matchups with Eastern Conference contenders, Sam Smith of Bulls.com checks in on some rumors from around the league. Here are a few highlights from Smith's latest column:
- Celtics talk should pick up over the next week and a half, but Smith wonders if, rather than trading Rajon Rondo or the Big Three, GM Danny Ainge could try to move Brandon Bass to clear more cap space for two major free agents this summer.
- DeMar DeRozan "isn't as untouchable as once believed," writes Smith. Given DeRozan's lack of improvement this season, that isn't a huge surprise, but I doubt the Raptors would sell low on him.
- Austin Daye has played just over six minutes in the Pistons' last eight games, and Smith thinks he could be an intriguing gamble for some team, if Detroit makes him available.
- According to Smith, if the Mavericks want to create summer cap space by moving Shawn Marion's contract either during or after the season, packaging him with Rodrigue Beaubois could make it easier to find a taker. The 24-year-old Beaubois has averaged 13.8 points and 2.0 steals per game in four games since the All-Star break.
Lamar Odom Desires Return To L.A.
Lamar Odom helped propel the Mavericks to a win on Saturday, after asking his teammates for their support, but according to Ric Bucher of ESPN.com (video link), Odom is still "desperate" to return to Los Angeles.
Having dealt Odom to the Mavs in December, the Lakers are ineligible to reacquire the forward at any point this season. Bucher says the Clippers would love to acquire the 32-year-old, but they don't have the expiring contracts Dallas would want to make a trade work. If Odom does indeed want to return to Los Angeles, a more likely scenario has him being traded or bought out next season by the Mavs.
Odom returned to the Mavericks on Saturday night after an absence that lasted a week and a half. In 33 games this season, he has posted career-lows in points (7.7), rebounds (4.5), and minutes (21.3) per contest.
Odds & Ends: Rondo, Rockets, Blazers, Mavericks
- Rajon Rondo's stellar game against the Knicks was a display of his value to the Celtics and as a trade asset, writes Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated.
- Ric Bucher claims that the Rockets will have a different roster by March 16. (Twitter link)
- In addition to Nate McMillan's concern about lack of communication on the court, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian writes that Raymond Felton will soon return to the starting lineup for the Trail Blazers.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas reports that the Mavericks have called up forward/center Sean Williams from the D-League after placing Brandan Wright on the injured list. Wright sustained a concussion against the Hornets on Friday.
- A day after Lamar Odom's solid performance off the bench helped the Mavericks beat the Jazz, Eddie Sefko of DallasNews.com believes that the onus is on Lamar to remain consistent for the rest of the season.
Cuban On CBA, Free Agency, Chandler
Yesterday, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had a few interesting things to say during a live taping of Bill Simmons’ B.S. Report at the 6th annual Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
Here were a few of the main points:
- When asked about his team’s financial strategy of clearing cap space to make a speculative run at Dwight Howard and/or Deron Williams, Cuban said that since there’s a lot of other teams who have cap space, “the market gets inflated, which means it’s a bad time to buy.” Cuban went on to say he’d be happy heading into next season with the exact same team if that were possible, and that signing multiple super stars who will clog the cap might not be the best team building strategy moving forward.
- The issue of whether or not Dallas should have re-signed Tyson Chandler after winning the championship was broached, with Cuban explaining that because of the new CBA and its noticeable luxury tax hike, the monetary value for most players will probably go down in the next few years. Instead of overpaying, in their minds, for Chandler, Dallas instead chose to improve their perimeter defense. Cuban cites the signings of guys like Delonte West, and the great play of Shawn Marion as key reasons why Chandler’s presence hasn’t been missed on the defensive end.
- Cuban said that before the new CBA, whenever Dallas had a problem he would just spend more money. Now, with the increased luxury tax, it won’t be that easy, and the distribution of dollars will need to be done in a smarter way.
Miller On Nash, Carlisle, Cuban
Dallas radio host Craig Miller posted a mailbag covering several Mavericks topics. Here are the highlights:
- Miller likes the idea of the Mavs signing Steve Nash if they miss out on Deron Williams, but wonders whether his age will be a deterrent.
- Rick Carlisle's contract status is currently up in the air, but Miller expects the two sides will get something done to keep the coach in Dallas long-term.
- Miller wonders whether Mark Cuban is gearing up to sell the Mavericks after finally achieving his decade-long goal of winning an NBA championship in 2011.
Odom To Return To Mavs?
SATURDAY, 7:11pm: Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com reports that Odom did not address his teammates before the game and does not plan to take questions from the media until afterwards.
9:26am: Odom's D-League stint has been cancelled and the forward will instead join the Mavs for tonight's game against Utah, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
THURSDAY, 4:52pm: Odom won't be with the Mavs for tomorrow's game in New Orleans, but he'll likely play for the team's D-League affiliate on Saturday to "get his legs back," tweets Stein. It would be the equivalent of a one-game minor-league rehab stint for Odom.
1:17pm: Cuban met with Odom and agent Jeff Schwartz on Wednesday, and the Mavs expect to have the forward back on their active roster in a matter of days, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
8:35am: There's a "growing feeling" within the Mavericks' locker room that Lamar Odom won't be returning to the team, a source tells Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas. Odom left the Mavs last Wednesday to tend to his ill father.
There's been increased chatter within the last week about Odom's future, including rumors about a possible buyout or trade. However, owner Mark Cuban has continued to insist the Mavs aren't interested in buying Odom out of his deal, and still believe he can help the team this season. The 32-year-old has been mired in a season-long slump since being dealt to Dallas by the Lakers in December.
Mavs players who have been patient and supportive of Odom so far this season may be starting to show some cracks, says Caplan. Jason Kidd said earlier this week that the situation will "work itself out one way or another," while Jason Terry said yesterday that it's up to the front office to come up with a resolution.
Coach Rick Carlisle expects to have an update on Odom's status at some point today.
Odds & Ends: Blatche, Lakers, Nene, Odom
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- The Wizards are said to be aggressively shopping Andray Blatche but the forward isn't going to concern himself with the speculation, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. The 25-year-old is the longest tenured player on Washington.
- Over the next two weeks, the Lakers may seek out quality point guards who could be had for a reasonable price including Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Goran Dragic, and Jonny Flynn, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- Nuggets center Nene Hilario stopped short of saying that he would have signed with the Rockets as a free agent had the Rockets’ proposed trade for Pau Gasol been completed, but the big man did speak fondly of Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- This week's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has covered a number of interesting issues in the game of basketball, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. A wide range of topics were explored from the idea of a mutually beneficial trade to how a team's best players complement each other.
- In hindsight, the basketball community was too quick to criticize the Lakers for trading Lamar Odom to the Mavericks, writes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com. It's possible that Odom could have found his way out of his funk sooner in Los Angeles, but the Lakers couldn't take that chance at Odom's price.
Carlisle Says Odom Testing Mavs’ Patience
Everything surrounding Lamar Odom in Dallas seemed to be getting smoothed out earlier today, as we learned about his voluntary D-League rehab assignment ahead of his impending return. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, however, is getting tired of the saga that began when the Mavs acquired Odom from the Lakers before the season. Carlisle had some pointed comments on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Galloway & Co. radio show, as rounded up by Jeff Caplan.
"I'm disappointed with the way the whole thing's gone," Carlisle said. "We've worked hard with this kid. I'm a patient guy, Mark [Cuban] is a patient guy, [Mavs president of basketball operations] Donnie [Nelson] is a patient guy, our team is a patient team, but patience has worn thin here."
Carlisle also said the team will quickly find out "where things are at" with Odom when he returns, but still believes he can have a positive impact on the team if he competes the way he's capable. Odom will play Saturday for the D-League's Texas Legends, and Sunday, as Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reports, he will return to the Mavs. (Twitter link)
Odom, 32, is averaging career lows in just about every major statistical category, including minutes played. He's making $8.9MM this year and is scheduled to earn $8.2MM next year, although only $2.4 of his 2012/13 salary is guaranteed.
Stein On Lakers, Raptors, Marion, Hickson, Kaman
It's Friday afternoon, which means another installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime at ESPN.com. In addition to writing about the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, Stein shares a few trade rumors. Let's check them out….
- If the Lakers were to acquire Kirk Hinrich or Leandro Barbosa, they would want the Hawks or Raptors, respectively, to take on salary. However, neither Atlanta or Toronto is interested in doing so. The Lakers would have to use their $8.9MM trade exception and accept the luxury-tax consequences if they were to deal for either player.
- The Raptors are also unwilling to take on salary in a deal for Jose Calderon.
- The Mavericks aren't currently shopping Shawn Marion, and don't intend to start clearing out the necessary cap space to make a run at top free agents until after the season. One source told Stein there's "no chance" the Mavs trade Marion this month, even though there may be potential suitors.
- J.J. Hickson is being aggressively shopped by the Kings.
- The Hornets have been telling teams that Chris Kaman won't be bought out after March 15th if the club can't find a trade partner. Since New Orleans is still owned by the league, that may not be an idle threat. A number of teams, including the Heat, are hoping Kaman is bought out, since they don't have the trade assets necessary to acquire the big center.